Dru Posted December 11, 2002 Share Posted December 11, 2002 New Religion For the last few weeks a group of us have been going 'round and 'round the email tree on the subject of alpinism, mixed climbing, ethics, etc. I finally wrote this after thinking about it a bunch and probably drinking way too much Red Bull. The idea is that different climbing styles are religions, and attempting to convince someone else of the superiority of your religion isn't very productive for the other party or you. The spark for the debate came from an article Raphael Slawinski wrote for the Canadian Alpine Journal on how mixed climbing is affecting alpine climbing. A leading alpine climber (Steve House) disagreed, everybody wrote a lot, yada yada, "Mountain Divinity was response to it all, including my own writing... 1. The more days you spend outside worshipping the holier you are. Doesn't matter what faith or how you worship. 2. The time and love you put into your outdoor experience defines your true closeness to god. 3. The less words you spend on slandering other climbers or styles of mountain experience, even if they deserve it, the holier you are (this is a hard one to live up to). 4. The more you share the joy of the mountains with people at any level, be it clinics, slideshows, articles or in the bar, the holier you are. 5. The more total positive impact you have on the mountains, the holier you are. None of us truly belongs in the alpine environment (we're not goats). Leaving pins on rap is as wrong as leaving bolts. Ditching gear is as bad as ditching garbage. The only way to atone for these sins is to work toward mountain preservation; raise $, pick up garbage on the trail, work for local and international preservation, etc. Realize that we are all sinners, but try to make a positive difference in the long run. This is very hard; I like four-wheeling, jeting to new mountain ranges, rotor crack, etc. All faiths are hypocritical; recognize this and do better with your own faith rather than attacking the hypocrisy we all see in other faiths. 6. Staying alive brings you closer to god; dying does not. 7. Converting disciples through positive energy is allowed; using your position as a prophet to slander other faiths is a sin. 8. Climbing is only one facet of a mountain faith; a hike on a perfect day counts the same (perhaps more because you can actually stop and think) than a hard new route. 9. Arrogance with the supremacy of your sub-faith is one sure way to piss God off. 10. Public posing is allowed (like Jesus' disciples didn't work the propaganda machine), but monotheistic posing at the expense of other faiths is shallow. False posing ("I'm more bad-ass than X because he used two pins and I only used one") is not posing but false proselytizing. Services to be held every day anywhere outside (failing that, bars will work). While the above is meant only semi-seriously, it is a credo I'd like to live up to--the climbers I most admire are those who climbed lots, slandered little, and shared the mountains often before they died at a ripe old age. They had faith in what they did, and did it well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forrest_m Posted December 11, 2002 Share Posted December 11, 2002 can i get an "amen"?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredrogers Posted December 11, 2002 Share Posted December 11, 2002 Nice product placement for Red Bull. Does anyone know if Gadd rates his climbs by the number of Red Bulls needed to fire the crux- something like M9 3RB? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Posted December 11, 2002 Share Posted December 11, 2002 Climbing is a hobby. That is it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted December 11, 2002 Author Share Posted December 11, 2002 The funny thing is you cant even buy Red Bull in Canada cause here you are only allowed to caffeinate colas, and its not a cola and they didnt want to sell decaf. So Will gets his shipped in but the rest of us go without. So, my point is, he can plug it all he wants and it affects Canadian sales not a whit Basically free money for doing nothing you gotta like that deal Wills got there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sk Posted December 11, 2002 Share Posted December 11, 2002 (edited) the great thing about climbing is that it can be to each person what they need it to be... religion, hobby, life style, pass time, philosophy, whatever. (oh, and AMEN! ) Edited December 11, 2002 by Muffy_The_Wanker_Sprayer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek_the_Greek Posted December 11, 2002 Share Posted December 11, 2002 Nice post, Druesome. I'm with ya all the way. Nice how you worked in the bit about time in the bar (as long as you're "sharing the joy of the mountains") making you holier. How conveeeeeeenient! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelle Posted December 11, 2002 Share Posted December 11, 2002 Interesting perspective, Dru. Good post! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt.Caveman Posted December 11, 2002 Share Posted December 11, 2002 I like slander. His ideas dont work for me. I made a deal with some dude that has horns. Some guy named Adolf was there with me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allthumbs Posted December 11, 2002 Share Posted December 11, 2002 Caveman, you are the Anti-Christ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted December 11, 2002 Author Share Posted December 11, 2002 Some people may not have figured out that I cut and pasted that verbatim from Gadd's website www.gravsports.com. Red Bulls or Dark Ales? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allthumbs Posted December 11, 2002 Share Posted December 11, 2002 it was sketchy at best Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_b Posted December 11, 2002 Share Posted December 11, 2002 Climbing is a hobby. That is it. some would say the same thing about missionary work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg_W Posted December 11, 2002 Share Posted December 11, 2002 Hi j_b, got your tail out from between your legs? I agree that climbing becomes a passion that people center their lives around in varying degrees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_b Posted December 11, 2002 Share Posted December 11, 2002 Hi j_b, got your tail out from between your legs? perhaps you'd care to explain what you mean ... or is it that it still hurts? why don't you reply in spray. I can't guarantee I'll comment though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figger_Eight Posted December 11, 2002 Share Posted December 11, 2002 Yup...I'd rather be climbing and thinking about god, than be in a church thinking about climbing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snoboy Posted December 11, 2002 Share Posted December 11, 2002 PS I think Red Bull is legal these days. The funny thing is you cant even buy Red Bull in Canada cause here you are only allowed to caffeinate colas, and its not a cola and they didnt want to sell decaf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted December 11, 2002 Author Share Posted December 11, 2002 Its like melatonin, you can legally bring it across the border for your personal use, but you can't legally sell it. Hence they charge $4 a can for it in the bars. Its "decriminalized", sort of... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshK Posted December 11, 2002 Share Posted December 11, 2002 So, Dru, if redbull isn't allowed in canada, what is that stuff they use to mix a redbull and vodka when you order one? It's in a glass vial as I remember, and they dilute it with soda water (and the vodka, of course.) I remember it tasting fairly close to redbull. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted December 11, 2002 Author Share Posted December 11, 2002 Like I said they charge you $4 in the bars. BUT you still cant get it in the 7-11 or at Save On Foods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snoboy Posted December 11, 2002 Share Posted December 11, 2002 Like I said they charge you $4 in the bars. BUT you still cant get it in the 7-11 or at Save On Foods I seem to remeber it was almost that much in the US. Well maybe $3... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshK Posted December 11, 2002 Share Posted December 11, 2002 No, I understand you *can* get it in bars, but last time I was in whistler they were using some sort of "red bull concentrate" to mix red bull and vodkas. It tasted very similar to red bull, but it was definitely something different and poured out of a glass vial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted December 11, 2002 Author Share Posted December 11, 2002 It was probably Ross Rebagliatis urine sample Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshK Posted December 11, 2002 Share Posted December 11, 2002 yum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cairns Posted December 12, 2002 Share Posted December 12, 2002 3. The less words you spend on slandering other climbers or styles of mountain experience, even if they deserve it, the holier you are (this is a hard one to live up to). I hope that slandering golf is good for my outdoor soul, or I'm in trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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